3D printing materials

Choose the right material for your custom 3D printed part.

This guide helps buyers who just want a recommendation and technical customers who need real material data. Use it to choose the best option for prototypes, brackets, housings, fixtures, and tougher functional parts.

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Need the simplest choice? Start with PLA for indoor prototypes and general parts

Need more durability? Move to PETG for tougher everyday functional parts

Need stiffness or more heat? Compare the carbon-filled options below

Material selection

What matters most for the part you want made?

PLA: Best starting point for easy indoor parts Choose PLA when you want the easiest, lowest-risk option for prototypes, display parts, shop helpers, and general indoor use.

Colors: Black, White Ease: Very easy Heat: Low

Best for

Visual prototypes and concept models
Indoor fixtures, jigs, organizers, and brackets
Fast, economical parts when heat resistance is not critical

Not ideal for

Hot car interiors or sun-exposed outdoor use
Parts that need to flex repeatedly without cracking
Higher-heat mechanical environments

View PLA part specs

PETG: Best all-around upgrade for tougher everyday parts Choose PETG when you need a more durable, water-resistant, and weather-resistant part than PLA without moving into carbon-fiber materials.

Colors: Black, White Ease: Easy to moderate Heat: Moderate

Best for

Functional parts that need better toughness than PLA
Outdoor or utility parts exposed to water and weather
General-use brackets, mounts, covers, and enclosures

Not ideal for

Projects where maximum stiffness matters more than toughness
Very high-heat environments
Parts where the easiest beginner printing behavior is the top priority

View PETG part specs

PETG-CF: Best for stiffer matte functional parts Choose PETG-CF when you want a stiffer, more dimensionally stable part with a matte carbon-fiber look and better wear resistance than standard PETG.

Colors: Black Ease: Moderate Heat: Moderate

Best for

Stiff brackets, jigs, tool holders, and structural parts
Applications that benefit from better dimensional stability
Parts where a matte, technical finish is desirable

Not ideal for

Users who need the simplest beginner material choice
Parts that need a lot of flex or ductility
Designs with very fine passages that are more clog-prone with filled materials

View PETG-CF part specs

PET-CF: Best for higher-stiffness engineering parts and more heat Choose PET-CF when stiffness, dimensional stability, and better heat performance matter more than ease of printing or ductility.

Colors: Black Ease: Advanced Heat: High

Best for

Engineering-style brackets, frames, and machine components
Parts that benefit from low warping and strong dimensional stability
Applications needing higher stiffness or better heat performance

Not ideal for

Beginners who just need a simple all-purpose material
Parts that need to flex or absorb impact repeatedly
Designs that cannot tolerate the extra brittleness of carbon-filled material

View PET-CF part specs

How to use this page

Pick quickly or go deep

Need a simple recommendation? Use the quick chooser above and focus on part use case, toughness, heat needs, and finish style.

Need the engineering details? Scroll into the property tables for tensile strength, heat performance, stiffness, and process guidance.

Need help with part design too? Visit the design guide for tolerances, clearances, wall thickness, and design-for-printing rules.

Material details

PLA for custom parts

Ease: Very easy Toughness: Moderate Heat: Low

Choose PLA when you want the easiest, lowest-risk option for prototypes, display parts, shop helpers, and general indoor use.

Use this when

Visual prototypes and concept models
Indoor fixtures, jigs, organizers, and brackets
Fast, economical parts when heat resistance is not critical

Avoid this when

Hot car interiors or sun-exposed outdoor use
Parts that need to flex repeatedly without cracking
Higher-heat mechanical environments

Available colors Black, White

Typical finish Clean, crisp detail

Property	Value
Density	1.21 g/cm3
Tensile strength	53.4 MPa
Elongation at break	20.3%
Flexural strength	81.8 MPa
Flexural modulus	2740 MPa
Impact strength	19.8 kJ/m2 (Izod notched)
Heat deflection temperature	53.8 C
Vicat softening temperature	54 C
Melting point	164 C
Nozzle temperature	195-205 C at 50-100 mm/s; 205-220 C at 100-300 mm/s
Bed temperature	50-60 C
Drying guidance	50 C
Filament dimensional tolerance	1.75 mm filament, +/- 0.02 mm

Material details

PETG for custom parts

Ease: Easy to moderate Toughness: High Heat: Moderate

Choose PETG when you need a more durable, water-resistant, and weather-resistant part than PLA without moving into carbon-fiber materials.

Use this when

Functional parts that need better toughness than PLA
Outdoor or utility parts exposed to water and weather
General-use brackets, mounts, covers, and enclosures

Avoid this when

Projects where maximum stiffness matters more than toughness
Very high-heat environments
Parts where the easiest beginner printing behavior is the top priority

Available colors Black, White

Typical finish Slightly glossier, durable finish

Property	Value
Density	1.29 g/cm3
Tensile strength	42 +/- 2 MPa
Elongation at break	8.9% +/- 1.5%
Flexural strength	68 +/- 2 MPa
Flexural modulus	2097 +/- 173 MPa
Impact strength	87.6 +/- 4.2 kJ/m2
Heat deflection temperature	72 C
Vicat softening temperature	70 C
Melting point	216 C
Nozzle temperature	240-270 C
Bed temperature	65-70 C
Drying guidance	60 +/- 5 C for 8 hours
Recommended print speed	< 600 mm/s
Filament dimensional tolerance	+/- 0.02 mm

Material details

PETG-CF for custom parts

Ease: Moderate Toughness: Moderate to high Heat: Moderate

Choose PETG-CF when you want a stiffer, more dimensionally stable part with a matte carbon-fiber look and better wear resistance than standard PETG.

Use this when

Stiff brackets, jigs, tool holders, and structural parts
Applications that benefit from better dimensional stability
Parts where a matte, technical finish is desirable

Avoid this when

Users who need the simplest beginner material choice
Parts that need a lot of flex or ductility
Designs with very fine passages that are more clog-prone with filled materials

Available colors Black

Typical finish Matte carbon-fiber texture

Property	Value
Density	1.29 g/cm3
Tensile strength	41 +/- 8 MPa
Elongation at break	9.6% +/- 1.0%
Flexural strength	75 +/- 2 MPa
Flexural modulus	3040 +/- 21 MPa
Impact strength	70.7 +/- 6.2 kJ/m2
Heat deflection temperature	74 C
Vicat softening temperature	83 C
Melting point	226 C
Nozzle temperature	240-270 C
Bed temperature	65-75 C
Drying guidance	60 +/- 5 C before printing; 70 C for 8 hours for best quality
Recommended print speed	< 220 mm/s
Nozzle note	0.4 / 0.6 / 0.8 mm hardened steel nozzle recommended; 0.2 mm not compatible

Material details

PET-CF for custom parts

Ease: Advanced Toughness: Moderate Heat: High

Choose PET-CF when stiffness, dimensional stability, and better heat performance matter more than ease of printing or ductility.

Use this when

Engineering-style brackets, frames, and machine components
Parts that benefit from low warping and strong dimensional stability
Applications needing higher stiffness or better heat performance

Avoid this when

Beginners who just need a simple all-purpose material
Parts that need to flex or absorb impact repeatedly
Designs that cannot tolerate the extra brittleness of carbon-filled material

Available colors Black

Typical finish Matte engineering finish

Property	Value
Density	1.30 g/cm3
Composition	PET with 15% carbon fiber
Tensile strength (XY)	74 MPa unannealed; 73 MPa annealed
Tensile strength (Z)	35 MPa unannealed
Young's modulus (XY)	5950 MPa unannealed; 6700 MPa annealed
Young's modulus (Z)	3400 MPa unannealed
Elongation at break (XY)	2.5% unannealed; 1.5% annealed
Elongation at break (Z)	1.15% unannealed
Charpy impact strength	9 kJ/m2 unannealed; 4.8 kJ/m2 annealed
Flexural strength	116 MPa unannealed; 115 MPa annealed
Flexural modulus	5600 MPa unannealed; 5900 MPa annealed
Vicat softening temperature	220 C
Glass transition temperature	80 C
Izod impact	36 kJ/m
HDT at 1.8 MPa	76.6 C unannealed; 118 C annealed
HDT at 0.45 MPa	86.7 C unannealed; 176 C annealed
Melting point	250 C
Water absorption	0.5%
Nozzle temperature	280-320 C
Bed temperature	60-80 C
Drying guidance	90 C for 4-6 hours if moisture is present
Nozzle note	0.4-1.0 mm hardened steel or better; 0.6 mm or larger recommended for higher-speed printing
Filament dimensional tolerance	1.75 +/- 0.02 mm

Next step

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